Automatic closure-operating device



Aug. 17,1926. 1 1,596,340

- o. B. poasms AUTOMATIC CLOSURE OPERATING DEVICE Attorhey I Inventor,

' QB'DOWIM Aug. 17 1926.

Filed Feb. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 0.3. 205M778,

flttorncy Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STA.

OLIVER B. DOBBINS, OF CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE-OPERATING DEVICE.

Appli ation fil ruary The present invention relates to improvements inclosure operating devices and has reference more particularly to anautomatic means for opening and closing a vmovable closure by the actionof the Wheels of a vehicle.

One of the important objects of the pres ent invention is to provide ahighly novel, yet simple device whereby a movable closure may be openedand closed by the wheels of the vehicle approaching and passing throughthe entrance with which the closure is as sociated, thus savingconsiderable time and labor, and furthermore obviating the necessity ofthe operator of the vehicle having to leave the same and manuallyactuate the closure.

A further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned characterwhich will all times be positive and efficient in its operation, thesame being further simple in construction, inexpensive, strong anddurable and further well adapted to the purpose for which it isdesigned. 1

Other ob'ects and advantages of the in-. vention will become apparentduring the course of the following description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings. y

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals designate like parts throughout the same Figure 1 isa side elevation showing the device as associated with an upwardlyswinging gate and the means arranged in the roadway on either side ofthe gate for controlling the opening and closing of the gate.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the gate and the actuating mechanismassociated therewith.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the modification showing the deviceassociatedwith a sliding door, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail thereof illustrating thesliding door op,- erator more fully.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown thepreferred en1- bodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designatesgenerally the gate, the same being pivotally supported at its lowerinner end on the'pivot pin 2 which extends transverse- 1y through thelower portion of a pair of spaced vertical standards 3 and 4trespective- 1c, 1926. I Serial No. 87,350.

ly, which standards form the gate posts. The standards of the ate postare spaced a sufficient distance apart so as to permit the gate to swingupwardly between the stand ards without any difficulty. As is clearlyshown in Figure l, the standard 3 extends above the standard 4.

The gate post 5 formed by the spaced standards 3 and a is preferablyarranged at one side of the road and arranged at the 0pposite side ofthe road gate post 5 is the post 6,, the same cooperating with the freeend of the gate to, limit the lateral movement of the gate. Journaledtransversely through the upper end of the standard 3 is the shaft7. Aratchet wheel 8 is fixedly secured on the outer end of the shaft and isspaced from the outer face of the standard 3 in the manner asis moreclearly illustratedvin Figure 1 of the drawings. The inner end oftheshaft- 7 terminates in the'laterally extending arm 9, and the same isdisposed adjacent the inner face of the standard 3. The purpose of thisarm will behereinafter more fully described.

A lever 10 is loosely mounted at its inner end on the outer end portionof the shaft 7 and is disposed between the outer .face ofthe standard 3,and the adjacent face ofv the ratchetwheel 8. A pivoted pawl 11 iscarried by theintermediate portion of the lever 10 and the samecooperates with the ratchet teeth formed in the peripheral edge of theratchet wheel 8 for actuating the shaft as will also hereinafter be morefully described. A dog-12- is secured on the out- ,er face of the upperportion of the standard 3 and also cooperates with the ratchet teeth ofthe ratchet wheel'in preventing the rota tion of the shaft in thereverse direction.

A retractile coil spring 13 is secured at its lower end to the outer endof the lever 10, the upper end of the coil spring being secured to theouter end of the bracket 14:

directly opposite the which is secured on the upper end of the standard3 of the gate post 5 and extends laterally therefrom. A similar coilspring 15 is connected at one end to the outer end of the arm 9, theother end of the coil spring 15 being securedto .the gate 1 as isclearly shown in Figure 3. n

An enlongated beam 16 is pivotally securedat. its inner end to the gate1 as at 17, the beam extending rearwardly between the spaced standards 3and 4: forming the gate post 5 and carrying at its outer end the counterweight 18. A lateral projection 19 is formed on the rear end of the gateadj acent the upper end thereof and provides a support for the innerpivoted end of the beam for normally holding the beam in it. upwardlyinclined position when the gate is closed, as is also clearly shown inFigure 3.

A pair of cables or other flexible members indicated at 20 and 21respectively are secured at one end to the outer end of the lever 10,these cables extending downwardly adjacent the standard 3 and beingtrained over suitable pulleys 22 and 23 respectively, which aresupported on the rear side of the standard 3 adjacent the lower endthereof, the cables extending laterally in opposite directions along theside of the road.

A pair of relatively short posts or blocks indicated at 2% and 25respectively are set in the roadway a suitable distance from the gate '1on one side thereof, a similar pair of blocks or posts indicated at 26and 27 being arranged on the opposite sides of the gate at a similardistance therefrom. The blocks 24 and 26 are preferably arrangedadjacent the side of the road while the other blocks 25 and 2'? extendupwardly from the road bed in the intermediate portion thereof andpreferably at such a distance with respect to the blocks 21 and 26respectively so as to enable at least one pair of aligned front and rearwheels of the vehicle to pass between the spaced blocks or posts of eachpair. The outer end of the cable 20 is trained under a suitable pulley28 which is secured on the outer side of the block 2a adjacent thebottom thereof. The cable then extending upwardly along the outer sideof the block and being trained over an additional pulley 29 which ismounted on the top of the block. The end of the cable 20 is secured toone end of the trip member 30 which in the present instance is in theform of a chain, the other end of the chain being secured to the top ofthe block 25.

In a similar manner, the outer end of the other cable 21 is trainedunder a pulley 31 which is secured on the outer side of the block 26adjacent the bottom thereof. The cable 21 being then trained over anadditional pulley 32 mounted on the top of the block 26 and beingsecured to a similar trip member 33 at one end thereof, the other end ofthe chain forming the trip member 33 being secured to the .top of theblock 27. This construction is thought clearly illustrated in Figures 1and 2 of the drawings.

The blocks or posts which are arranged in the roadway are of such heightas not to interfere with the passing of the vehicle thereover andfurthermore the trips 30 and 33 are normally held taut through themedium of the retractile coil spring 13 which also holds the lever 10 inits normal position.

With the parts arranged as above described, and the gate 1 in itsnormally closed position, when the vehicle approaches the gate and istraveling in the direction of the arrow, as soon as the outer frontwheels of the vehicle passes over the chain 30, the trip will bedepressed, and will simultaneously cause an outward pull to be exertedon the cable 20 which will result in the downward swinging movement ofthe lever 10 against the tension of the spring 13 and the pawl 11carried by the lever 10 will turn the ratchet wheel and the shaft 7 onwhich said ratchet wheel is fixed, a quarter of a revolution. The rearouter wheel of the vehicle will further effect the rotation of the shaftanother quarter ofa revolution when said wheel passes over the tripchain 30.

When the shaft has completed a half of a revolution, the gate 1 will inthe mean time have swung upwardly on its pivot 2 to the position shownin the dotted lines in Figure 3, the arm 9 in the coil spring 15assisting in the upward and rearward swinging move ment of the gate aswell as the beam 16 in the counter weight 18. A stop such as is shown at34 cooperates with the beam 16 in limiting the downward swingingmovement thereof so that the gate will be maintained in such a positionas to enable the same to be closed in the manner to be presentlydescribed.

hen the gate is opened, the vehicle is free to pass through the entrancenormally closed by the gate and the gate 1 will be returned to itsnormally closed position in the same manner as the same was swung to anopen position, by causing the outer front and rear wheels of the vehicleto pass over the trip chain 33 whereupon the cable 21 will be pulledoutwardly to further effect the actuation of the lever 10 so that whenboth the front and rear outer wheels of the vehicle have passed over thetrip 33, the shaft 7 will have completed a whole revolution and theexpanded retractile spring 15 will automatically return the gate to itsclosed position.

The provision of a gate operating structure of the character abovedescribed will enable the gate to be automatically opened and closed bya vehicle without necessitating the operator of the vehicle having toleave the car in order to open or close the gate, thereby savingconsiderable time and labor.

My improved closure operator may also be associated with garage doors,either of the swinging, sliding, or tilting type in the same manner asthe device is associated with a swinging gate, and in Figures 4: and 5of the drawings, I have illustrated the device as being associated withthe sliding door. The device as associated with the sliding door Aincludes the same lever and ratchet mechanism as heretofore shown anddescribed, the shaft 7 on which the ratchet wheel 8 is fixed extendingthrough the wall of the building or garage in which the door opening isformed. An arm 9 is fixed at its outer end on the shaft 7, the inner endof said arm being provided with an eye which is interconnected with theeye 36 formed on the outer end of the elongated tubular member 37, theouter end of the tubular member being closed, while the inner end isopen.

Adapted for slidable movement within the tubular member 37 is anadditional tubular member 38, the same being hingedly secured at itsouter end to the sliding door 8, as at 39. Each of the tubulartelescopic members is slotted longitudinally as indicated at 40 and 41respectively. A retractile coil spring 42 encircles the inner por tionof the larger tubula member 37, one end of the coil spring extendinginto the slot 40, and being disposed adjacent the inner end of the slot,the other end of the coil spring extending into the other slot 41 formedin the inner tubular member 38 and being disposed adjacent the inner endof said slot.

An actuating cable 48 is connected to the outer end of the pivoted lever10 and is trained over suitable pulleys mounted on the front of thebuilding or garage, and the outer end of the cable is connected to asuitable trip mechanism similar to that heretofore shown and described,and which is arranged on the outside of the door opening a suitabledistance therefrom.

The operation of the ratchet mechanism is identical with that providedfor actuating the swinging gate 1, and manifestly when the shaft 7 hasmade a one half revolution, the door A will have moved to an openposition through the medium of the expansion of the coil spring 42.l/Vhen the other onehalf revolution has been completed, the coil spring42 will effect the sliding movement of the doorA to a closed position,and this is readily obvious from the construction of the telescopictubular member, and the arrangement of the ends of the coil spring 42with respect to said tubular member.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention it is to beunderstood that minor changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In combin-aion with a movable closure,and its support, of a shaft journaled in said support, a ratchet wheelsecured on said shaft, an arm fixed on said shaft, a resilientconnection between said arm and the movable closure, a pivotally mountedlever, a pawl carried thereby and adapted for en gagement with theratchet wheel for effecting the rotation of the shaft, and thesimultaneous movement 'of the closure, and a cable for actuating saidlever.

2. In combination, a gate post, and an upwardly swinging gate pivotedthereto, a shaft journaled transversely through the upper portion of thepost, a ratchet wheel fixedly secured on one end of the shaft, an armextending laterally from the other end of the shaft, a retractile coilspring connecting said arm with said gate, a pivotally mountedlever, apawl carried thereby and adapted for engagement with the ratchet wheelto eflect the rotation of the shaft and the expansion of the coil springwhereby said gate is caused to swing on its pivot, and means foractuating the lever from a remote point.

3. In combination, a gate post, and an upwardly swinging gate pivotedthereto, a shaft journ-aled transversely through the upper portion ofthe post, a ratchet wheel fixedly secured on one end of the shaft, an

arm extending laterally from the other end of the shaft, a retractilecoilspring connecting said arm with said gate, a pivotally mountedlever, a pawl carried thereby and adapted for engagement with theratchet wheel to effect the rotation of the shaft and the expansion ofthe coil spring whereby said gate is caused to swing on its pivot, meansfor actuating the lever from a remote point, and means for returning thelever to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

OLIVER B. DOBBIN S.

